Autism 101:Top 10 Pieces to the Puzzle

Core Training in Autism – Module 1

2008Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism

Autism 101

Goal:

Provide training on basic

components of autism

spectrum disorders.

Learner Outcomes

Autism 101

Define the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Identify research-based strategies to address the behavioral, social and communication needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Core Training in Autism – Module 1

2008 Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism

Welcome & Overview

The Autism Spectrum

Behavior Connections

Sensory Processing

Keys to Socialization

The Power of Communication

The Ongoing Journey

Autism 101

Agenda

Welcome

Who is here today? Parents & Family

Educators

Child Care Providers

Related Service

Providers

Evaluation Personnel

Administrators

Pretest:

“What I already know!”

Please take a few moments to

complete the pre-test.

Introductions

You are going to introduce yourself to a partner

using a Social Script

Script:

“Hello , my name is __________ . I am from

__________. My relationship to a student with autism

is as a _________ (role). One question I have about

autism is ________________. And how about you?”

[Now, listen to your partner.]

Scripts are . . .

“Research on scripts and script fading documented

procedures that enable children to participate in

interaction so that, like other youngsters, they are

regularly exposed to others’ talk and can make use of

other people’s language models in later conversation.

“Scripts and script-fading procedures are useful to

students who are more and less-severely disabled,

and to readers and nonreaders.”

-Lynn McClannahan & Patricia Krantz

Teaching Conversation to Children with Autism

Commissioner’s Rules

(e) (6) parent/family training...

(e) (10) professional educator/staff

support...

(e) (11) Teaching strategies based on

peer reviewed, research based

practices...

Commissioner’s Rules

89.1055

Puzzle Piece #5:

V is for Visual

Visuospatial processing is intact or

enhanced in individuals with autism

spectrum disorders.

Nancy Minshew, MD – University of Pittsburgh

Oh My Gosh!

You started with #5! That is out of order! How will I survive this training?

I need a strategy to help – how about a social story?

Social Stories

Stay tuned for more on

social stories later in the training.

Stay Tuned

“I THINK IN PICTURES. Words are like a second language to me. I translate both spoken and written words into full-color movies, complete with sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head.”

“When somebody speaks to me, his words are instantly translated into pictures.”

-Temple Grandin, PhD

Don’t we already know this?W

h

y

t

h

e

v

i

s

u

a

l

?

Did you know?

According to research, 65% -75% of

the general population is considered

to be primarily visual learners.

Visual strategies may be

the strongest link

between individuals with

neuro-typical brains and

individuals with autistic

brains.

The Autism Spectrum

Incidence

Nearly 1 of every 150

children are identified

as having an Autism

Spectrum Disorder.

Four times as many boys

as girls are affected.

-Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

2007

Prevalence

Before 1990’s a rate of 4 to 5 per

10,000 children

1990’s – 1 in 1000 incidence rate

2007 – 1 in 150

A Bit of History

Hans Asperger

Leo Kanner Ivar Lovaas

Bernard Rimland Eric Schopler

Bruno Bettelheim

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental

disorder of neurobiologic

origin that is defined on the

basis of behavioral and

developmental features. (National Research Council,

Educating Children with Autism)

Pervasive Developmental

Disorders - a diagnosis

What causes autism?

“It has become more and more apparent

that the etiology is multifactorial with a

variety of genetic and, to a lesser extent,

environmental factors playing a role.”

Chris Johnson, Scott Myers and the Council on

Children with Disabilities, 2007

Brain Research

Neuropathology and neuroimaging have

shown that there are “fundamental

differences in brain growth and

organization in people with ASDs that

have their origin in the prenatal period

but extend through early childhood and

into adulthood.”

Chris Johnson, Scott Meyers, and the Council

on Children with Disabilities, 2007

Autism – an IDEA eligibility

category

Definition of autism in IDEA:

“a developmental disability significantly affecting

verbal and nonverbal communication and social

interaction, usually evident before age 3, that

adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Other characteristics often associated with autism

are engagement in repetitive activities and

stereotyped movements, resistance to

environmental change or change in daily routines,

and unusual responses to sensory experiences."

Educational Need may

include

Academic

performance

Communication

functioning

Pragmatic language

Social functioning

Organizational Skills

Problems solving

skills

Emotional regulation

Daily living skills

Adaptive behavior

Hygiene

Group work skills

Behavior

Generalizing learned

skills to different

people/environments

Puzzle Piece #2:

E is for Each

Each child is an individual.

“If you put 100 people with autism in a

room, the first thing that would strike

you is how different they are.”

“The next thing that would strike you

is the similarity.”

Fred Volkmar

Yale University

Behavior Connections

Characteristics of

Autism Spectrum Disorders

BehaviorUnusual repetitive motions

Need for consistency and sameness

Difficulty with change

Difficulty with transitions

Persistent, intense preoccupation

Texas Behavior Support

Initiative – Education Service

Center Region 4

Goal of “Positive Behavior,

Positive Support, Positive

Students”

Addressing Behavioral Challenges

- Proactive Programming

Key Concepts of TBSI

Individual Interventions Model

All behavior is learned

Behavior serves a function

Environment impacts behavior

Skills deficits impact problem behavior

Team approach is critical

The student-teacher relationship

matters.

Addressing Problem

Behaviors

Step 1: Begin the process by defining

the behavior.

TBSI asks 4 questions:

What does the behavior look like?

Can I see or hear it?

Can I measure it?

Would someone else identify the exact

behavior from this description?

Addressing Problem

Behaviors

Step 2: Data Collection

Gathering information about the

behavior gives the team a “baseline”

from which to design an intervention.

The Importance of

Data Collection

Commissioner’s Rules

89.1055

(e) (1) extended educational program…

(e) (3) in-home and community based

training…

(e) positive behavior support…

ABC Chain

A - Antecedent

B - Behavior

C - Consequence

Addressing Problem

Behaviors

Step 3: Determining the Function of the

Behavior

Talk to people who know the student

Observe the student, antecedent, and

consequences in the environment

Interview the student

Step 4: Create a hypothesis about the

function of the behavior

Functions of Behavior

1. To obtain something, either internal or

external, that is desirable

2. To escape or avoid something, either

internal or external, that is unpleasant

Puzzle Piece #8:

U is for Underlying

Underlying causes contribute to behaviors.

- The iceberg effect -

Designing Interventions

Step 5: Design an Intervention giving

consideration to

Replacement behaviors

Student involvement

Use of reinforcers

Skill deficits

ABC Strategies

FBA + Teaching

“The combination of functional

assessment and functional

communication training [i.e. teaching a

more appropriate behavior to replace a

challenging behavior] is a powerful

intervention package that can be used in

any classroom for children with and

without disabilities.”

Addressing Problem

Behaviors

Step 6: Implement the intervention and

gather data.

Step 7: Compare the post-intervention

data with the baseline data to determine

effectiveness.

Addressing Behavioral Challenges -

Proactive Programming

Assume the problem behavior serves a

purpose for the student

Modify the antecedents and environmental

controls

Attempt to teach alternative and replacement

skills that serve the same function

-Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D.

When behavior escalates

Texas Behavior Support Initiative:

Module 4 on time-out

Module 5 on Prevention and De-escalation

Techniques with Severe Behavior

Face-to-face training in non-violent crisis

intervention required of identified school

personnel

Remember . . .

When behavior starts to escalate,

it may be best to talk less and

show more.

Visual processing is a strength!